“It’s not easy to play without Totti. When he’s not here, the team plays differently, as we are missing out strongest element.

“I won’t say we lose confidence without him, but we are accustomed to always having him on the field. When he’s not there, we are missing a reference point. All the play goes through him, so Roma have to play differently without Totti.

“He is an important player, certainly, but despite all that we proved that we can do well without him.”